One of the pillars of Union Olimpija's surprise run to the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16 last season, forward Damir Markota, will be back for another season, the club announced Saturday. Markota (2.08 meters, 26 years old) posted a rock-steady 8.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists over 26 minutes on average in 15 games, all as a starter, last season. He was Olimpija's second-best rebounder and third-best assist-maker as the team finished second to eventual champion Panathinaikos in the regular season, then fell to previous champ Regal F.C. Barcelona and eventual finalist Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv in the Top 16 All along, Markota was a favorite of the record crowds that filled Stozice Arena in Ljubljana to watch their team's unexpected run. Before Slovenia, Markota had spent the previous six seasons in five countries. He made his Euroleague debut, a 20-second appearance with Cibona Zagreb in the 2001-02 season, when he was 16.